A safety device for an EEC for a motor vehicle engine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,359. In this safety device, the position of the fuel throttle and of the accelerator pedal, and possibly also the condition of an automatic speed controller (ASC) are checked by means of switches connected in the power supply line to a relay which controls energization of the winding of an electric fuel pump.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,470,854 discloses an EEC for a motor vehicle having a safety device wherein the engine speed is monitored and the fuel pump relay is deenergized to stop the fuel pump if the engine speed drops below a predetermined value which can, if desired, be adjustable. However, this function is blocked during starting, and the fuel pump relay is temporarily energized via a switching device. After a predetermined delay, typically about two seconds, the EEC speed-dependent controller (safety device) takes over the energization of the fuel pump relay.
However, when reliance is to be placed on such a safety device when travelling, possibly at high speed, it would be advantageous to be able to check the operational condition of an EEC safety device as aforesaid, prior to making a journey.